1. Field of the Invention:
The system of the present invention relates to transport vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for eliminating or reducing fluid surges in a transport vehicle particularly when the transport portion of the vehicle is partially filled with fluid and provides a means for reducing fluid surges that would normally occur in such instances.
2. General Background:
The transport of various types of fluids, including fluid hydrocarbons, and other volumes of fluids, it is most commonly undertaken in a transport vehicle of the type which would include a single or double elongated tank portion horizontally disposed on a frame, the entire transport portion being pulled by the truck. These "tankers" are used often to transport vast quantities of fluid material, i.e., between 20 to 50 thousand gallons or more so that the liquid, contained in the fluid portion of the vehicle, which creates an enormous amount of inertial mass as the vehicle is attempting to accelerate or to decelerate in stopping the vehicle, or attempting to undertake sharp turns of the vehicle during transport.
Although the total weight or inertial mass of the fluid is the problem during transport, one of the more common and perhaps more dangerous problems is the situation where the fluid contained in the transport portion of the vehicle is not fully loaded with fluid. In that event, when the vehicle must attempt to stop sharply or to undertake sharp turns, the inertial force created by movement of the fluid causes a surge wave within the transport section thus causing an enormous shift of weight in the vehicle, which, depending on the type of maneuver being undertaking, may cause the vehicle to continue moving rather than stop, or in the worse case, may cause such a lateral shift in the weight of the fluid that the vehicle will be tipped over on its side and upended.
One of the more common methods that have been attempted to be utilized in this type of event, is the use of a baffling system on the floor of the transport section, which would normally comprise a series of walls along the bottom portion of the vehicle which would tend to separate the fluid in the vehicle into a lesser quantity of fluid and would attempt to avoid fluid surge within the vehicle. This baffling system for the most part has met with limited success, but has not solved the problem of fluid surges when the fluid contained in the vehicle does have space within the fluid section to surge vis-a-vis the movement of the vehicle.
There have been attempts to suggest placing panel type members to act as baffles against tank surges, which, however, have left flow spaces between the tank portions wherein fluid would be allowed to move between the portions of the tank. Therefore, in those instances when a transport vehicle is undertaking a rather lengthy curve or a steep climb, during the time period that the curve or climb is being undertaken, the fluid is surging due to the centrifugal force or gravity on the fluid, through the holes in the baffles, which could cause a problem of uneven distribution fluid during the turn or climb. Therefore, the fluid is not separated or isolated into separate compartments within the transport vehicle.
Therefore, there is a continuing search for a solution to the fluid surge problem in these types of vehicles. Several patents have been issued in the field, the most pertinent being as follows:
German Patent No. 2,413,860, entitled "Tanker For Liquid And Dry Loads--With Hinged Bulk Heads To Stabilize Liquid Loads During Travel", teaches the use of a single tank fitted with a number of filling ports made for carrying loads such as gravel, etc. The tank which may be tipped rearwards to assist in moving the load, while including pneumatic attachments fitted to speed deliver. For carrying liquids, the tanker would be fitted with a number of bulk heads pivoted on transverse axles, with a bulk head fitted between every two ports. The bulk heads could be secured either in the vertical or horizontal setting by securing bolts through the pivot spindles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,342, entitled "Tank Wagon", relates to a tank wagon having a tank for transporting liquid material including means arranged to counteract movement of the material with respect to the tank in one direction and to pass the material in the opposite direction. This is accomplished by a series of adjustable gates in the lower portion of the baffle members which are hingedly engaged to allow fluid flow in a single direction but to prevent it from flowing in the opposite direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,005, entitled "Tank", relates to a vehicle utilizing longitudinal cylindrical baffles mounted between flat transverse support portions, the entire assembly being rigidly attached the interior walls of the tank vessel, in order to reduce and dissipate liquids surging in wave motion while adding mechanical strength for the tank in baffle assembly.
British Patent No. 659,631, entitled "Tanker Road Vehicles", relates to a vehicle tank construction in which rearward drainage of the tank compartment is retained without increasing the overall height or unduly raising the center of gravity of the tank in which the center of gravity will be well to the rear of the point of articulation of the tank tractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,636, entitled "Tank For Transporting Liquids", relates to a tank which has its higher portion located near its supporting set of wheels and a lower portion having its forward retaining wall near its draw member for the towing vehicle, in order to improve stability of the tank during travel, driving around curves or changing speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,070, entitled "Selective Valve Actuating Mechanism For Vessels", which provides transport vehicle having a number of internal bulk heads space apart to subdivide the vessel into a series of compartments which are sealed with respect to one another. The compartments are filled individually by way of man-holes or hatches further including a drainage system having emergency discharge valves for draining each of the compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,417,337, entitled "Tank Especially For Vehicles"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,593, entitled "Trailer Tank"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,163,387, entitled "Vehicular Tank"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,731, entitled "Tank" all relate to various types of transport vehicles and configurations of the interior tank portions therein.